Rumors about Thoreau Falls Bridge Removal

[Becca M]

Does this mean there will be a vote on the bridge on Feb 8? How will the incorrect description of the bridge being along the AT affect the proposal? I cannot really understand what happens and whether anything would be binding!!!!

 

[RoySwkr]

Does this mean there will be a vote on the bridge on Feb 8? How will the incorrect description of the bridge being along the AT affect the proposal? I cannot really understand what happens and whether anything would be binding!!!!

It means if this bill passes the Legislature that letters will be sent to the FS requesting that among other things the bridge on the AT should be preserved. One might hope that the official opinion of the state of NH might be important to the FS but it has no legal weight. Depending on how clueless the FS is/pretends to be, they can either take it to mean that the state has no opinion on the correct bridge or that since the state can't get it right they don't really care. I disagree with sd1 - mentioning the correct bridge in the bill is important to getting it saved.

 

[Becca M]

Does anyone know how to find out what happened at the hearing? Thanks!!!!

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Scr 2

Och aye, Becca,
I'm just now back from the Legislature's website www.gencourt.state.nh, where I typed SCR 2 into the box at upper right called the dashboard. That brought up the bill status report, which said the bill has been passed as adopted by the Senate. It is therefore now in the House, which has yet to send it to a committee for consideration.
What this means is that the public can attend the hearing the committee must by law have on this bill, and testify as to which is the correct bridge, preferably from eyewitnesses, with a map showing the three stream crossings that have been part of this discussion. It is our fault as correspondents that we have not identified them with sufficient precision that they can be distinguished on the map. They are: the bridge over the East Branch on Thoreau Falls Trail, whatever crosses the North Fork on the Thoreau Falls Trail, and the bridge over the North Fork on the AT (Ethan Pond Trail). Photographs of the current condition of the bridge we are concerned about, over the East Branch on the Thoreau Falls Trail, plus the testimony of eyewitnesses, will help convince the committee that the proper thing to do is amend the bill so it refers to the correct bridge. Thereafter the amended bill gets passed by the House, returned to the Senate for a vote , signed by the Governor, and sent to the NH delegation to the US Congress and the USFS. I may have forgotten a step or two, but our lawmakers won't.
It behooves those of us who care enough about this matter to consider testifying to check the Legislature's website every day, because over the next few months the lawmaking process revs up to high speed. They will follow the correct procedure but will not give more notice to the public than current law requires. If we want to get our $2.00 worth in we must be alert and ready on as little as a few days' notice.
Given the recent history of decisions by the Forest Service it appears we have no choice but to become politically active if we want to go on having trails in federally designated wilderness... Moderators, I would point out that if this matter is political, it is non-partisan AND was thrust upon us by A USFS interpretation of the language in the Wilderness Act, and it is really only through this legislative process and the USFS scoping process that we can respond to the USFS in a manner they cannot ignore.
Ah well, time to add my Hillsounds to my boots and go for a walk...
Creag nan drochaid

 

[Will]

www.gencourt.state.nh

I think you're missing a ".us" at the end?

 

[rocket21]

You can follow the bill here: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/results.aspx?txtbillnumber=scr002&txtsessionyear=2012

It was amended yesterday to read:
"That the general court finds that, in order to encourage safety and public access to the White Mountain National Forest, the United States Forest Service should, whenever possible, repair all existing bridges, including the foot bridge over the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River on the Thoreau Falls Trail and not remove bridges when removal costs more than repair"

 

[Becca M]

Thanks guys for the updates!!!! Creag, thanks for the info on how the process works.... I am not totally clear on what I can do to help, tho!!!! :0

 

[Will]

I am not totally clear on what I can do to help

In any action you take, any letters, emails, petitions, personal appearances, it is important to target appropriately.

There have been no real enemies of White Mountain hikers for half a century or more. We have one now. Get this individual out of the picture, and things get back to normal. I'm not saying we get a perfect world without her; there are always issues; but no one in recent memory has caused and threatens this kind of damage.

 

[Red Oak]

In any action you take, any letters, emails, petitions, personal appearances, it is important to target appropriately.

There have been no real enemies of White Mountain hikers for half a century or more. We have one now. Get this individual out of the picture, and things get back to normal. I'm not saying we get a perfect world without her; there are always issues; but no one in recent memory has caused and threatens this kind of damage.

Who is the enemy?Sorry I cant figure out who you are talking about?If you cant name a name,can you point me in right direction?Thanks the oakster...

 

[Will]

confused

She has fans here, and their views have legitimacy from a certain perspective that I frequently share. I suspect I would be banned if I specifically named and accused her.

There is a single person responsible for the recent damage and the future threat to backpacking in the Pemi. Do a google search and you will find her.

EDITED TO ADD: Ironically I am pretty much simpatico with this person's overall views. Problem is she came into the Pemi with the power to destroy, that previous office-holders had exercised with restraint, without any preparation or knowledge of Pemi hiking traditions or environment, and had kneejerk reactions and made kneejerk decisions without trying to learn anything about the Pemi. She interpreted legal language in a very questionable way very damaging to hikers, and implemented irreversible damage without the kind of thoughtful review that I think would have been appropriate.

 

[Becca M]

Hi Guys!!! I appreciate the info, but, I have to mentally move forward after the last situation.....

So, to refocus:

Still, I do work during the day, so, I'm not sure what I can do since I cannot attend hearings. I would like my voice heard even if I cannot be there!!! THANKS!!! --Becca

 

[David Metsky]

I suspect I would be banned if I specifically named and accused her.

Even so, please dial back the vitriol just a tad.

 

[Will]

please dial back the vitriol just a tad

I will. I really will. You are absolutely right to say that.

But you can't even begin to imagine the self-restraint I have already exercised.

EDITED TO ADD: I think my basic message has been to learn about this person and the Pemi hiking issues through where (admittedly diffuse) searches will take you, not here; that is not appropriate given the givens.

 

[RoySwkr]

Still, I do work during the day, so, I'm not sure what I can do since I cannot attend hearings. I would like my voice heard even if I cannot be there!!!

You can hire a lobbyist

It's obvious that Will is referring to the District Ranger that made the decision. But it was a different Ranger that decided to remove the shelters in good condition from Wild River. It's the groups that got such stringent Wilderness guidelines passed that are really to blame/credit.

A VP of the AMC testified at the hearing that the bill should not pass because the state should talk it out with the FS instead. I wonder if the real reason is that the AMC supports the guidelines which it helped enact and is afraid that if the state legislature (which officially represents over 1 million people) takes a stand it will overwhelm the influence of the AMC which has many fewer members. This same person was I believe on the advisory committee which approved the illegal parking fees - were AMC members ever informed of this action taken on your behalf? Presumably the AMC feels that on the one hand the fee will keep the riff-raff out of the woods while on the other hand they may get work from the fees.

 

[psmart]

Thoreau Falls Bridge not mentioned in latest SOPA

A reliable source has told me the Forest Service is looking into Thoreau Falls Bridge removal.

FWIW, there is nothing about the bridge in the latest USFS SOPA (Schedule of Proposed Actions) just posted today, so any action is still a ways off. The are, however, lots of other projects on the agenda to address damage by Tropical Storm Irene. It's worth reading.

http://www.fs.fed.us/sopa/components/reports/sopa-110922-2012-04.html

 

[Sunshine Chris]

Any more new info on the possible bridge removal of the Thoreau Falls Bridge since the April 4th, 2012 post? I am curious where it all ended up going/

 

[Tom_Murphy]

Nothing in the latest SOPA report:

http://www.fs.fed.us/sopa/forest-level.php?110922

I have read at least one trip report detailing people crossing the East Branch at the old suspension bridge but many more threads about people changing their itinerary due to the absence of the bridge.